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Greyhound welfare: second report of session 2015-16 report, together with formal minutes relating to the report

House of Commons papers 478 2015-16

Corporate Author:

Great Britain Parliament House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Author:

Neil Parish (chair)

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

There are around 15,000 active racing greyhounds in the UK today. Their welfare and the effectiveness of the existing regulatory framework are the focus of this report. New regulations on greyhound welfare were introduced in 2010 and are presently being reviewed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Our witnesses agreed that the 2010 Regulations have made improvements in the welfare conditions for greyhounds at the racing track. However, it is not possible to definitively say how much improvement has occurred because of an absence of readily available data concerning key welfare indicators, particularly around injuries incurred while racing. Looking at the broader welfare situation we have identified a number of key findings and corresponding recommendations: (i) we recommend that Defra amend the 2010 Regulations to require the publication of essential welfare data relating to injury, euthanasia and rehoming numbers; (ii) bookmakers profiting from greyhound racing in any format (including online or overseas trade) have a responsibility to support greyhound welfare. We regard a statutory levy as the most effective mechanism to achieve this; and (iii) the 2010 Regulations should be extended beyond racetracks to cover standards at trainers' kennels and include independent verification of those standards